Propylene is primarily produced as a by-product of petroleum refining and of ethylene production using a steam cracking process. Propylene is separated from a mixture of hydrocarbons obtained from cracking or other refining processes by fractional distillation. Propylene is typically produced from non-renewable fossil fuels, petroleum, natural gas, and to a lesser extent coal. Propylene can also be produced in on-purpose reactions, such as propane dehydrogenation, metathesis or syngas-to-olefins plants.
Propylene is a major industrial chemical intermediate that is converted into a variety of chemicals and plastics. Manufacturers of polypropylene account for nearly two thirds of worldwide propylene demand. Polypropylene is a plastic that is used for the manufacture of films, packaging, caps, closures, and individual parts for the electrical and automotive industry. Propylene is also used to produce chemicals including acrylonitrile, oxo chemicals, propylene oxide, cumene, isopropanol, acrylic acid, butanol, and butanediol.
Currently, refinery by-product production of propylene can no longer satisfy market demand. There is a need for alternative processes for on-purpose propylene production, particularly a green process that exhibits increased safety, decreased harmful waste and emissions, and savings in cost and energy compared to petrochemically-derived propylene.